Chapter 1: Nat
"Um, are you sure about this, Lai?"
"Positive! C'mon, Nat, are you getting cold feet now?"
"No…but…"
"But what?"
"…is Naomi Misora a really good idea?"
"I'm going as Haye Lindar, so yes, it is a good idea. Maybe you'll find a Raye Penbar…"
"NO, Laika. NO NO NO."
I sighed as I heard my best friend giggling from the other side of the plain white changing room. Thank goodness we were both in love with Death Note—if I had to wear, say, one of those Naruto or Rosario+Vampire costumes I'd die of embarrassment. Even so, Lai insisted that I wore a white neko headband, while she wore one with black cat ears instead of her usual black neko hat. I sighed and stepped out. I was glad for the half-cold half-warm spring day and heavily air-conditioned warehouse, because otherwise I'd probably die from heat stroke. I was wearing boots, jeans, a black leather-y jacket and a black turtleneck. My hair hung around the middle of my back, my contacts were in, and I hid the necklace I wore all the time—a black velvet ribbon around my neck with a silver music note—under the turtleneck. However, I refused to take off my prized black fingerless gloves. Quickly, I pushed four white bobby pins into my long bangs, two to each side, pushing them from my eyes.
I walked out of the dressing room to face my friend, Laika. She was still an inch or so taller than me, even though we were both in heels. Her silvery-white hair reached her waist, the bangs veiling her right, violet eye. Well, sort of blue-ish violet right now, since she was wearing colored contacts to go better with her costume, which was a white blouse and black dress pants with black heels. Her black neko headband was on as was her trademark red neko collar, and she was listening to her white iPod with Cloister Black font L and N, for L and Near from Death Note. I pulled out of my jeans pocket my iPod, with the Death Note cover on it.
Lots of people said that we were like yin and yang, twins and yet complete opposites: Lai was yin and I was yang. In a lot of ways, that was true. We were almost the same height, and both had pale skin. However, the similarities just about ended right there. Lai was nearly an albino with her violet eyes and silver-white hair, and she was outspoken and one of the friendliest people you'll ever meet. I, on the other hand, had night-black hair and gray eyes and I was shy and quiet. We also both loved Death Note, and we both wrote stories on it. Right now, Lai was probably listening to one of them on her custom-made audio books. "Ready to go?" she smiled at me. I nodded, putting on the black earphones before I walked out to face the music.
There were lots of people there. I mean lots. It was practically packed. I could see some Naruto, Black Butler, One Piece and Inuyasha just stepping out from the woman's dressing rooms. "HEY!" someone called to us. We turned to look, to see a Sayu waving us over. "Hey, you guys! C'mon, we need a Lindar and Naomi for this picture! Will you pose with us?" We looked at each other and shrugged—Why not?—before we walked over.
OK, I'll admit it. The convention was fun. There was food, and competitions, and lots of photos. There were flash spots dancing in front of my eyes for a long time afterward, but I thought it was worth it. Lai and I even won a prize for "Most Coordinated Costume Pairs". My cheeks hurt from all the smiling and laughter, and I was a bit loopy from all the sugary things they had. "Now, tell me if that was fun or not." I nodded, and we laughed for the hundredth time that day as we walked over to our hotel room.
As soon as we got into our room, Lai kicked off her heels and sat on the edge of one of the two beds while rubbing her feet. "Ah, they're so sore. I hate shoes." Likewise, I kicked my boots off as well, and pulled on a soft pair of slippers that my aunt Claudia had made me. I didn't mind shoes, but heels and flats made my feet ache for hours afterwards. I pulled off the jacket and made a cup of instant cocoa in my black and silver thermos, quickly drinking half of it. "You have a brown mustache," Lai teased. I stuck my tongue out at her. "S'not my fault I love hot chocolate. Mmm," I sighed as I inhaled the sweet fumes. She laughed before reaching under the bed and pulling out her violin. "Which song today?" she asked. I smiled and sat next to her. "Let's do…The World, you know, the old Death Note theme song!" She grinned, and tuned her instrument. Lai was an amazing player. After hearing a song two or three times, she could belt it out from her wooden instrument perfectly. I started humming the first few bars, taking another sip of the brown heaven-sent drink. She and I often did duets, her on the violin and me singing soprano.
"Hirogaru Yami No Naka Kawashiatte Kakumei No Chigiri
Dare Ni Mo Joma Saseru Wake Ni Wa Ikanai Kara
Kajitsu Ga Tsugeta Mirai Yume Risou Ni Kaeru
Dare Mo Ga Nazonda Owari O
Hirogaru Yami No Naka Kawashiatte Kakumei No Chigiri
Dare Ni Mo Jama Saseru Wake Ni Wa Ikamai
Itsuka Boku Ga Misete Ageru Hikerikagayaku
Sekai O"
She grinned. "You're getting better at pronouncing Japanese like they do." I smiled back. "I may not be Japanese, but I can definatly try to sound like one!" We laughed. After a couple more songs, we decided to turn in for the night. We had no idea how weird—no, impossible—our lives were going to be the next day.
